Currently reading...

and absolutely loving it! As a huge fan of Wingate's cozy mystery series, A Potting Shed Mystery (and her other series, A Birds of a Feather Mystery), I was thrilled to get approved for an ARC of her latest book in the series - thank you, NetGalley!  Last time (in Between a Rock and a Hard Place) Pru Parke was planning her wedding to DCI Christopher Pearse, while tackling a new short-term gig working at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.  Of course, everything turns to chaos when Pru stumbles upon a dead body and she's suddenly being questioned as the possible suspect. Ack!  In the end, she's finally married to her true love Christopher, and her investigative skills have helped to  capture the real murderer. Talk about a happy ending!

Well, this time round, Pru's Texan roots will be showcased in the latest mystery, The Bluebonnet Betrayal - hurrah!  According to the summary from NetGalley:

"Pru's life in England is coming full circle. A Texas transplant, she's married to the love of her life, thriving in the plum gardening position she shares with her long-lost brother, and prepping a Chelsea Flower Show exhibit featuring the beloved bluebonnets of the Texas hill country. Technically, Twyla Woodford, the president of a gardening club in the Lone Star State, is in charge of the London event, but Pru seems to be the one getting her hands dirty. When they finally do meet, Pru senses a kindred spirit—until Twyla turns up dead.

Although Twyla's body was half buried under a wall in their display, Pru remains determined to mount a spectacular show. Twyla would have insisted. So Pru recruits her husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, to go undercover and do a bit of unofficial digging into Twyla's final hours. If Pru has anything to say about it, this killer is going to learn the hard way not to mess with Texas."

How exciting does that sound?  Well, it is!  I am just loving catching up with Pru and her husband DCI Pearse.  And now, I'm off to continue reading The Bluebonnet Betrayal by Marty Wingate.  Happy reading!!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: The Rhyme of the Magpie: A Birds of a Feather Mystery by Marty Wingate

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

For readers of Laura Childs, Ellery Adams, and Jenn McKinlay, the high-flying new Birds of a Feather mystery series from Marty Wingate begins as a British woman gets caught up in a dangerous plot when her celebrity father disappears.

With her personal life in disarray, Julia Lanchester feels she has no option but to quit her job on her father’s hit BBC Two nature show, A Bird in the Hand. Accepting a tourist management position in Smeaton-under-Lyme, a quaint village in the English countryside, Julia throws herself into her new life, delighting sightseers (and a local member of the gentry) with tales of ancient Romans and pillaging Vikings.

But the past is front and center when her father, Rupert, tracks her down in a moment of desperation. Julia refuses to hear him out; his quick remarriage after her mother’s death was one of the reasons Julia flew the coop. But later she gets a distressed call from her new stepmum: Rupert has gone missing. Julia decides to investigate—she owes him that much, at least—and her father’s new assistant, the infuriatingly dapper Michael Sedgwick, offers to help. Little does the unlikely pair realize that awaiting them is a tightly woven nest of lies and murder.

my thoughts:

As a HUGE fan of Wingate's Potting Shed Mystery series, I was super excited to find out that she had started a new series titled, Birds of a Feather.  How fun!  A new cast of characters to fall in love with and a whole new theme involving birds to get invested in - talk about a treat.  I couldn't wait to dive right in!  

In The Rhyme of the Magpie, we meet Julia.  She's just moved to Smeaton-under-Lyme and taken on the post of Tourist Manager.  She eager for a fresh start after quitting her last job as her father's assistant on his famed television show, A Bird in Hand.  Julia's upset with her dad for marrying her mum's best friend immediately after she passed away.  This quickie marriage makes her think that perhaps her dad was not as in love with her mum as she once thought.  When he comes to visit her at her new place, she rebuffs him.  And then the unthinkable happens.  Her dad goes missing. Ack!  Talk about father issues.

Feeling overwhelmed with guilt, Julia decides to investigate her father's disappearance.  She knows the coppers are working on it, but feels that she should be doing something as well.  So, with the help of Michael (her father's new assistant) the two get to working on gathering clues and figuring out who would want to harm her beloved father.  As the two work close together, they can't help but find themselves falling in love with one another.  Of course, Julia soon learns that Michael is not who he seems.  Drama!

Wingate has once again written a superb cozy mystery filled with suspense, red herrings, danger, romance, and magpies.  Yep, magpies do provide a clue or two.  This story draws on an old nursery rhyme involving magpies, so whenever Julia happens to see some it becomes a thing.  Makes sense since Julia and her father are obsessed with birds - hence the title of the series.  Apparently if you see two magpies that means joy and if you see four that means a new baby boy (Julia's sis is preggers!).  Pretty nifty, eh?  I absolutely loved this aspect of the novel and found myself looking forward to any mention of magpies - you never knew what they would mean in connection with the mystery.  As for whodunit - I won't say a peep.  Just know that you will love reading this story and meeting all of the quirky characters involved.  The Rhyme of the Magpie is a must-read for fans of Wingate's novels and fans of cozy mysteries.  You will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Rhyme of the Magpie

GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book! 

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: The Red Book of Primrose House: A Potting Shed Mystery by Marty Wingate

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

In Marty Wingate’s charming new Potting Shed Mystery, Texas transplant Pru Parke’s restoration of a historic landscape in England is uprooted by an ax murderer.

Pru Parke has her dream job: head gardener at an eighteenth-century manor house in Sussex. The landscape for Primrose House was laid out in 1806 by renowned designer Humphry Repton in one of his meticulously illustrated Red Books, and the new owners want Pru to restore the estate to its former glory—quickly, as they’re planning to showcase it in less than a year at a summer party.

But life gets in the way of the best laid plans: When not being happily distracted by the romantic attentions of the handsome Inspector Christopher Pearse, Pru is digging into the mystery of her own British roots. Still, she manages to make considerable progress on the vast grounds—until vandals wreak havoc on each of her projects. Then, to her horror, one of her workers is found murdered among the yews. The police have a suspect, but Pru is certain they’re wrong. Once again, Pru finds herself entangled in a thicket of evil intentions—and her, without a hatchet.

my thoughts:

Marty Wingate's Potting Shed Mystery series is becoming my new favorite.  Its got all the charms of a cozy mystery that I adore - romance, a bit of danger, gardening history, and the English countryside.  Plus, the writing is top notch, the characters are fun and relatable, and the story itself is an entertaining read.  I absolutely loved The Red Book of Primrose House!

Picking up where the last story left off, Pru Parke has settled in to her new role as head gardener of Primrose House.  She' still dating DCI Christopher Pearse - the only quibble in that relationship is the long distance.  Of course they get in a fair number of weekends together, which added a romantic element to the story.  As usual, Pru is working on creating the BEST garden ever when she gets involved in a bit of drama - think jealous gardener, unruly employees, and an unrealistic boss who leaves her notes asking he to climb towering trees.  However, nothing matters after Ned is found brutally murdered in the garden - he was THE man to talk about the history of Primrose House and Pru's top worker.  As she manages to get more and more involved with the investigation surrounding Ned's death, Pru finds herself the victim of several dangerous attacks.  Seems like someone isn't too happy with Pru working at Primrose House.  Oh, and to add even more drama to the mix, Pru finds out some secrets from her past that truly shatter the last remaining images she had of her mother.  Whoa! Talk about a suspenseful and engaging read!  And that is all I will write about the book.  I don't want to give away any more details than necessary to pique your interest - which I'm hoping I did.  Just know that Marty Wingate knows how to write a cozy mystery very well and that you will be hooked from page one.

Check out the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Red Book of Primrose House

GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tour for providing me with a copy of this book!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of The Garden Plot by Marty Wingate

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

In an entirely appealing mystery debut, Marty Wingate introduces readers to a curious Texas ex-pat whose English gardening expertise on occasion leads her to unearth murderous goings-on.

Pru Parke always dreamed of living in England. And after the Dallas native follows an impulse and moves to London, she can’t imagine ever leaving—though she has yet to find a plum position as a head gardener. Now, as the sublet on her flat nears its end, the threat of forced departure looms. Determined to stay in her beloved adopted country, Pru takes small, private gardening jobs throughout the city.

On one such gig in Chelsea, she makes an extraordinary find. Digging in the soil of a potting shed, Pru uncovers an ancient Roman mosaic. But enthusiasm over her discovery is soon dampened when, two days later, she finds in the same spot a man’s bludgeoned corpse. As the London police swarm her worksite, ever inquisitive Pru can’t quite manage to distance herself from the investigation—much to the dismay of stern Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse. It seems that, much as he tries, even handsome DCI Pearse can’t keep Pru safe from a brutal killer who thinks she’s already dug up too much.

my thoughts:

Cozy mystery - I just love those words.  They are the epitome of the perfect weekend read.  Just throw in a cuppa and a comfy chair, and you will have the recipe for a jolly good time.  I absolutely loved getting all snuggled up with my copy of Marty Wingate's debut novel (the first in a series), The Garden Plot - Saturday and Sunday seemed to float right on by.

So what kept my attention for two days straight?  Pru Parke.  An independent and strong-willed woman from Dallas who has chosen to make a life for herself in England.  She's given herself a deadline - one year to find gainful employment or else she'll return to the US.  Unfortunately, there is only a month left and Pru's prospects looking so good - it seems no one is in need of a head gardener.  Ugh! What's a lady to do?  Take on as many gardening gigs as she can and hope for the best.  Determined to stay in England, Pru keeps applying for jobs and avoiding her best friend's phone calls (Lydia wants her to come back to Dallas and take her old job back).  And so, she winds up taking on a new client - the Wilsons.  This older couple have moved into a new home and Mrs. Wilson has decided to spruce up the garden - she wants to surprise her husband, Harry.  Pru loves the Wilson's affability and believes that she wrangle the mess out back into something with a bit of curb appeal for them.  However, things take a turn for the worse when she stumbles upon a dead body in the Wilson's gardening shed early one morning.  Yikes! Looks like, life is about to take a rather unexpected turn for Pru Parke.

The Garden Plot was a delight to read.  I found the book to be amusing, engaging, and chock full of gardening ideas.  The characters are easy to fall in love with - especially Pru, who I rooted for from the beginning.  I loved reading about Pru's involvement in the case and her burgeoning relationship with a certain DCI Pearse.  I also loved reading about the lovely gardens described in vivid detail - having lived in England for years, I'm kicking myself for never paying much attention to these garden hot spots.  Oh well, just means that I have to make another trip across the pond at some point in the future.

As for Marty Wingate- she's an author whose work I look forward to reading.  I can't wait to see what happens next for Pru and DCI Pearse. So, yes, I would most definitely recommend The Garden Plot to fans of cozy mysteries - you are going to fall in deep with Pru Parke and London!

Here's the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Garden Plot

GIVEAWAY: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!